A child's early schooling experiences are extremely influential on how that child views school. I was fortunate enough to be a part of a school district that is rated in the top 1600 schools in the country. My elementary school and middle school were an environment that pushed students to strive for academic success. The teachers I had were very nurturing and supportive, and had a major impact on my decision to become an elementary school teacher.
For some people it's hard to believe that a public elementary school would push their students academically, because the children are so young. Well, in Montebello Elementary School, the school i attended for six years, students were encouraged to work hard in school, and do the best they could. At my school, there were special programs that students could be a part of if they had the proper grades. Student government was a very selective, competitive group to be a part of. Two students from each grade, a boy and girl third grade and above, were picked to represent their grade. You had to have good grades, and be recommended by a teacher to get into the program. I was lucky enough to be in the program in fifth grade, and it was one of the proudest moments of my childhood. One thing that has always stuck with me from elementary school, is the idea that as long as you do the best you can possibly do, whether you succeed or not is insignificant. Since student government was so selective, only six students in the entire school made it, leaving many children feeling defeated. Our teachers were quick to remind us that getting in didn't matter if we knew that we worked hard, and were proud of our work.
Similarly to my elementary school, my middle school was another environment that helped students strive for excellence. Starting in seventh grade, students were divided into honors classes, and regular classes. This is the point that most students waited for since the beginning of sixth grade. At my school, although we were pushed to work hard, unfortunately not all students wanted to do so. Getting into honors classes was a great accomplishment, and our teachers were very proud and eager to tell us that. In the honors classes, we learned advanced material and were taught how to handle harder work at an early age. One thing that my school district always did a good job of was preparing us for the upcoming year of school, and course work we would have to go through.
My middle school didn't just commend students that got good grades but also students that were good people. Our school gave out an award called the mountie award, the mountie being our school mascot. This award was given out each month to ten students who embodied the respect, determination, and kindness we were always taught to have. This was something that looking back on, was an extremely influential award for many students. I remember students who weren't in honors classes winning the award, and being in shock. These students thought they had no reason to be in school because they weren't "smart enough" or "good enough". This award showed them otherwise and became a huge confidence booster.
Throughout my entire early schooling experiences I can't say I had any bad teachers, they were all good, but some were great. The difference for me between a good teacher and a great teacher is the impact they had on me. My greatest teachers made learning fun, which made me remember the material. Those teachers also had a connection with each student, and gave them confidence in themselves. Over the summer, before coming to URI, I received an envelope in the mail from my first grade teacher. She wrote me a note wishing me luck on my new journey through college, and the rest of my life. She also included pictures she had saved since first grade. I can easily say that Mrs. Rogers, my first grade teacher, was one of the best teachers I have ever had. She was an amazing woman who made a strong connection with me, and is a teacher that I can only hope to be like one day.
I wouldn't change a single thing about my early schooling. The schools I have went to have taught me so much. It's important to always get something out of your experiences, whether those experiences are good or bad. Thankfully my experience were nothing short of amazing, and helped me become the person and student I am today.
For some people it's hard to believe that a public elementary school would push their students academically, because the children are so young. Well, in Montebello Elementary School, the school i attended for six years, students were encouraged to work hard in school, and do the best they could. At my school, there were special programs that students could be a part of if they had the proper grades. Student government was a very selective, competitive group to be a part of. Two students from each grade, a boy and girl third grade and above, were picked to represent their grade. You had to have good grades, and be recommended by a teacher to get into the program. I was lucky enough to be in the program in fifth grade, and it was one of the proudest moments of my childhood. One thing that has always stuck with me from elementary school, is the idea that as long as you do the best you can possibly do, whether you succeed or not is insignificant. Since student government was so selective, only six students in the entire school made it, leaving many children feeling defeated. Our teachers were quick to remind us that getting in didn't matter if we knew that we worked hard, and were proud of our work.
Similarly to my elementary school, my middle school was another environment that helped students strive for excellence. Starting in seventh grade, students were divided into honors classes, and regular classes. This is the point that most students waited for since the beginning of sixth grade. At my school, although we were pushed to work hard, unfortunately not all students wanted to do so. Getting into honors classes was a great accomplishment, and our teachers were very proud and eager to tell us that. In the honors classes, we learned advanced material and were taught how to handle harder work at an early age. One thing that my school district always did a good job of was preparing us for the upcoming year of school, and course work we would have to go through.
My middle school didn't just commend students that got good grades but also students that were good people. Our school gave out an award called the mountie award, the mountie being our school mascot. This award was given out each month to ten students who embodied the respect, determination, and kindness we were always taught to have. This was something that looking back on, was an extremely influential award for many students. I remember students who weren't in honors classes winning the award, and being in shock. These students thought they had no reason to be in school because they weren't "smart enough" or "good enough". This award showed them otherwise and became a huge confidence booster.
Throughout my entire early schooling experiences I can't say I had any bad teachers, they were all good, but some were great. The difference for me between a good teacher and a great teacher is the impact they had on me. My greatest teachers made learning fun, which made me remember the material. Those teachers also had a connection with each student, and gave them confidence in themselves. Over the summer, before coming to URI, I received an envelope in the mail from my first grade teacher. She wrote me a note wishing me luck on my new journey through college, and the rest of my life. She also included pictures she had saved since first grade. I can easily say that Mrs. Rogers, my first grade teacher, was one of the best teachers I have ever had. She was an amazing woman who made a strong connection with me, and is a teacher that I can only hope to be like one day.
I wouldn't change a single thing about my early schooling. The schools I have went to have taught me so much. It's important to always get something out of your experiences, whether those experiences are good or bad. Thankfully my experience were nothing short of amazing, and helped me become the person and student I am today.